It is known to employ an internal panel in luggage, such as a suitcase. In some suitcases, an internal clothing panel is employed to form a sub-compartment for holding clothing, such as a suit, dress or coat, therein. In other suitcases, an internal divider panel is employed to form a pair of separate sub-compartments for holding articles, such as clothing or other personal belongings, therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,607 shows a conventional, non-upright, hand luggage case having a main or bottom section, a cover or top section, and an internal cover or partition. With the bottom section on a horizontal surface, after the hand luggage case is opened, the free portion of the partition rests on supports or brackets carried by the side walls of the bottom section. When access to the bottom section is desired for packing and unpacking, the partition may be releasably held in its raised or open position by engaging a member on the undersurface of the partition in a keeper on the inside surface of the top section. In this manner, a suit which is carried in the top section may be enclosed therein by the partition.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,206,564 shows a carrying case including a body section which is hinged together with a cover or wardrobe section. A curtain is fastened at its upper end to the top wall of the wardrobe section and has fastening straps carrying socket members adapted to be engaged with ball members secured to the body section.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,245,999 shows a luggage case including two complementary or matching sections connected by a hinge. A dust curtain panel, hingedly mounted at an edge of the bottom wall of one of the two sections, may be moved into place as a cover for that section. In one embodiment, the dust curtain panel is mated with an edge strip by slide fastener elements.
One disadvantage of internal panels for luggage is that such panels may contribute to wrinkles in clothing housed in the adjacent internal luggage compartments.
Another disadvantage is that internal panels may present fixed boundaries which limit the volume of the adjacent internal luggage compartments.
Accordingly, there is room for improvement in internal panels for luggage.